1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solar energy apparatus, in which solar radiation is collected and converted to another form of energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The solar energy apparatus described in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,335 utilizes aspheric, nonparabolic reflectors that pivot in two directions and focus reflected solar radiation to fixed receivers positioned in front of the reflectors. The receivers may be optical waveguides as described in the patent, or other means of receiving, converting, and transmitting the collected energy to a means of use or storage at a higher temperature.
The solar energy apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,335 provides many improvements and advantages over other solar collector apparatus, but has efficiency, design, and fabrication limitations. First, the location of the reflector's pivot axes is a function of the arc of travel of the edges of the reflector which limits the design flexibility of the reflector subframe system. Second, shading of the retreating reflector segments by the adjacent reflectors reduces the overall pattern size of the reflected energy by design, but also reduces the effective reflector aperture and the system's efficiency. Third, the pivot axes locations proximate the reflector's surface do not reduce the effects of tracking errors. Fourth, the curvature design is specific to each latitude of installation and the use of replicated reflectors at different latitudes results in decreased efficiencies. Alternatively, the design and fabrication of nonreplicated reflectors would increase the initial cost of the solar apparatus and reduce its economic advantages.